The fact that the RDX is doing well is not surprising. What is, though, is the fact that it took Acura this long to realize what they were missing. Led by their attempts to try to satisfy too many customers they polled, they forgot the very essence of how Acura started (Legend, Integra & NSX) and its original DNA. It just goes to show you sometimes how these seven or eight figure executives just are worth their overpaid salaries.

Handing over the some of the freedom of design decisions back to their engineers is what brought the RDX back from life. The first generation was a good start, it just needed more refinement. The second generation, well, we won't go there. It may have sold well, but for all the wrong reasons.

Several things still needs to do something about with the RDX: (1) You should be able to order an A-Spec with all the options of the Advance - just because you want a sporty look doesn't mean you want to give up rain-sensing windshield wipers and other extras including some additional quietness too, (2) paying for an Advance should get you better wheels, not unappealing ones & (3) GET RID OF THAT RIDICULOUS GEAR SHIFTER SETUP - use a joystick setup like BMW. This last one is can be a deal breaker. Acura always managers to do some dumb things, its like they can't help themselves.

At least they changed those hideous grills they were using. Maybe the person who signed off on that idea originally is now sweeping floors!

JR's machine wrote:The fact that the RDX is doing well is not surprising. What is, though, is the fact that it took Acura this long to realize what they were missing. Led by their attempts to try to satisfy too many customers they polled, they forgot the very essence of how Acura started (Legend, Integra & NSX) and its original DNA. It just goes to show you sometimes how these seven or eight figure executives just are worth their overpaid salaries.

Handing over the some of the freedom of design decisions back to their engineers is what brought the RDX back from life. The first generation was a good start, it just needed more refinement. The second generation, well, we won't go there. It may have sold well, but for all the wrong reasons.

Several things still needs to do something about with the RDX: (1) You should be able to order an A-Spec with all the options of the Advance - just because you want a sporty look doesn't mean you want to give up rain-sensing windshield wipers and other extras including some additional quietness too, (2) paying for an Advance should get you better wheels, not unappealing ones & (3) GET RID OF THAT RIDICULOUS GEAR SHIFTER SETUP - use a joystick setup like BMW. This last one is can be a deal breaker. Acura always managers to do some dumb things, its like they can't help themselves.

At least they changed those hideous grills they were using. Maybe the person who signed off on that idea originally is now sweeping floors!

Agree on your #1, A-Spec should be an option package for all RDX's, not a model in the RDX lineup. Agree again on #2, the Advance wheels are pretty basic and a disgrace to the top line model, IMO. #3, I'm half and half with you...the RDX button shift setup is awful, but the BMW joystick isn't much better. They both are just too weird and not intuitive or user-friendly. How about just a normal f-ing shifter like before. My wife had a helluva time figuring them both out when we test drove the RDX and X3 recently.

With the move to CUV/SUVs, I'm sure the RDX will continue to do very well. Acura hit the mark on it for the most part.

For me I had a harder time figuring out the BMW shifter than the Acura setup. The Acura one, it's just buttons. It may take time to get used to it, but it's intuitive - press D to drive, press R to Reverse, press P to park.

In the BMW, I often had to double check a few times to ensure I got I wanted lol.

The BMW shifter does take some getting used. Once you realize the pushing the shifter forward is reverse and then shifting it back is for drive, it get pretty easy. The Germans do things a bit strangely. For instance, turning the dial clockwise for navigation zooms out not in. You would think tightening something up meant zooming in. Same for windshield wipers, down turns them on rather than up.

The 3K wheel option should be standard equipment on the Advance model even though they are 20" wheels.

Hahaha yea, I've been to Germany a couple times and both times rented BMW (X1 then 418D gran coupe). The X1 was a manual so it was a joy to drive and didn't need to figure out the shifter. But boy it was so slow on the autobahn as it was a X1 18i (150hp or something).

In the 418D it took me a week to get used to the shifter and by then I had to return the car LOL.

JR's machine wrote:Those buttons just waste so much precious space that could be used for more practical things like maybe a wireless phone charger.

The wireless phone chargers fit under the pad right in front of the shifter. Indeed, it's a better location as it's a shallow well with a rubberized floor that keeps the phone from shifting and sliding.

The row of buttons is fine. You get used to it fast. It's now in a bunch of Honda and Acura vehicles. Being low profile they get out of the way but they respond to your hand easily.

The one thing I wish ALL such vehicles had is paddle shifters. Not all of them have it.